THAILAND - Athletics finally delivered three and Miguel Molina triumphed again to spark a victory splurge of 11 golds yesterday that could only lift the Philippines to fourth overall in the 24th Southeast Asian Games here.

Fencing and dance sports contributed two victories each while billiards, rowing and the new sport of duathlon joined the winner's row as the Filipinos raised their golden haul to 14 as competitions moved into the night.

The defending overall champion Filipinos stood just two golds behind Singapore with 16 even as host Thailand raised its leading golden collection to 43 with Vietnam a far second with 23.

Hammer thrower Arniel Ferrera and steeplechase ace Rene Herrera captured their respective events for the third time while Marestella Torres retained her long jump title on her sixth and final attempt at the Main Stadium.

Molina defended the second of his three titles by ruling the men's 200 individual medley easily, finishing almost four seconds ahead of Thailand's Matjiur Radomyos with a time of 2:05.50.

Emerson Segui (men's individual foil) and Michelle Bruzola (women's individual epee) nailed the two golds for the fencers while dance sport struck in the standard tango (Joel Madera- Anabelle Alo) and standard quick step (Emmanuel Reyes-Maira Rosete).

Ryan Mendoza emerged as the Games' first duathlon champion while veteran Benjamin Tolentino Jr. and new partner Jose Rodriguez prevailed in the men's doubles sculls of rowing in Pattaya City.

Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica and Marlon Manalo contributed the last gold as the sun set here in the 9-ball doubles by crushing their Singapore rivals in the finals, 11-6.

Ferrera, a well-built Army man, improved his Games record of 60.47 meters set in 2005 back home to 60.98 while Herrera was unchallenged in matching Arniel's third straight victory in these Games by topping the 3,000m steeplechase in 8 minutes 54.21 seconds.

Torres was in second place behind Thai Thitima Mauangjan who took the lead with a 6.25m effort on her third jump. But the first of nine gold medalists in the sport two years ago produced a jump of 6.31m on her last crack to keep the title in an event that was once the exclusive preserve of the retired Elma Muros.

The rowers also produced a silver in the men's lightweight double sculls through Nestor Cordova and Alvin Amposta, Tolentino's old paddlemate in 2005, and a bronze in the women's category of the same event through Clothelde Nillas and Johna Lyn Pedrita.

Also coming up with silvers were freestyle wrestlers Gemma Silverio (women's 59 kg) and Alven Aragon (74 kg), runner Miguel Dique in the men's 800 meters and Harlene Orendain in the women's individual epee.

THE BOXERS

The boxers made it 4-1 for the day with the lone loss inflicted by Thailand's Non Thaboonjamnong as he stopped welterweight Wilfredo Lopez in the second round.

Defending women's light flyweight champion Alice Kate Aparri led the RP victors by eliminating Mya Mu Chay Naw of Burma (Myanmar). Men's light fly Albert Pabila, bantamweight Junel Cantancio and lightweight Joegen Ladon followed Aparri in the medal round by outpointing their respective foes.

But the country couldn't weave the old Mamiit-Taino magic in men's tennis even as wushu's Rene Catalan, one of four Asian Games gold medalists last year in Doha, Qatar, bowed out in sanshou's 52-kg division late Friday.

Teaming up for the country since their bronze performance in the Asiad men's doubles, Fil-Ams Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino found Thai twins Sonchat and Sonchai Ratiwana too tough this time and bowed, 4-6, 2-6, as the host country won the tie, 2-1.

Danai Udomchoke somehow exacted revenge with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Mamiit earlier in a match between the men's singles finalists two years ago in Manila which the Fil-Am ace won.

Taino extended the match by upending Weerapat Doakmaiklee in the second singles, 6-1, 6-4.

The loss left the defending champion Filipino netters with only a bronze like their female counterparts, who absorbed a 3-0 whipping from the Indonesians.

BRONZE MEDALS

Also contributing bronze medals were August Benedicto in the men's division and Analisa Dysangco in the women's section of the duathlon; Joanne Franquelli in women's individual saber, dancers Reynato Mercado and Judith Melencio in Latin American cha-cha-cha, Reyes and Rosete in standard waltz and Rolando Canlas Jr. in the men's individual foil.

The female swimmers could do no better than two bronzes courtesy of Jaclyn Pangilinan in the women's 100 breaststroke and the women's team in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay. Kendrick Uy also placed third in the men's 100 freestyle.

The 5-foot-1 1/2 Catalan, winner in the 48-kg division two years ago and plucked out of semi-retirement as a last-minute replacement, narrowly lost to Vietnam's Thang Anh Phan of Vietnam, 1-0.

Mark Eddiva got the boot from another Vietnamese in sanshou's 65-kg division, but Benjie Rivera seemed to have a clear path in the 56-kg class after hurdling Thai favorite Sanchai Chomphunpuang.

WATER POLO

The Filipinos launched their bid for the water polo title with a 15-6 crushing of Malaysia while the female beach volley team -- Michelle Carolino-Michelle Laborte and Diane Pascua-Heide Ilustre -- outclassed their respective Laos and Malaysian rivals.